I ask him why he's here in the states, and he explains that his dad's family owns a marketing firm that expanded to the US two years ago. He actually lives on campus in the dorms because his family is all in New York City. They wanted him to come to Founders Prep because of the prestigious reputation. According to him, it's not just the Ivy league schools over here that look favorably on a diploma from here, it's also Cambridge and Oxford, where he's planning to attend next year. It's even better to know that if anything happens between Oliver and I, it will have an expiration date. I don't want anything serious, so he's looking better and better.
Oliver and I exchange numbers as he leaves me to get his class. I walk into the classroom, and the teacher tells me it's open seating. I pick a desk near the back and sit down. I'm pulling a pen out of my bag when I feel him behind me. A little tingle travels down my back from my neck.
"Ives, funny seeing you here," Levi's warm breath on my neck causes a delicious tremble to roll through my body. I let myself enjoy for a few seconds before pushing it down inside.
"What are you doing in this class?" I ask without looking at him.
"I'm in it. Guys can be feminists, too."
This time I do look back at him. He grins at me the same way he did when we were kids, and I melt into a swirling puddle of resignation and affection. I cannot bring myself to stay annoyed at him. His boyish charm and enthusiasm are just too much. I turn around before he sees that he's got me wrapped around his finger.
Every once in a while, I'll feel him twirl his pencil in my hair or poke me in the back with his eraser. The one time I looked back to glare at him, I caught a glimpse of his midnight blue eyes twinkling at me and had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling back at him. I don't know how I'm going to keep him at a distance the next two years.
After class, he waits for me again to show me to my next class.
"I don't have any other classes with you in the afternoon, so I'll meet you by the locker rooms after school. You can walk out with me to the field and do whatever while I'm at practice. Or I could get Con or Griff to give you a lift home, they both live in the same neighborhood as us."
I'd sooner rip my toenails out than ride anywhere with Connor. Griff is nice, but I would be lying if I didn't want to watch Levi play again. I was never a football fan until I watched him play the first time. I'm still not a fan, unless Levi is out on the field.
"I'll stay and watch. It's a nice day, so I'll just soak up a little sun and avoid Mom as long as I can."
"Awesome, I'll see you in a bit then." He hugs me and hangs on just a little too long for it to be a brotherly hug, so I pinch his side. Well, I try to pinch his side, but he's pure muscle so there's not much to pinch.
The rest of the day is uneventful. Most teachers don't force the icebreakers or do much aside from walking us through the syllabi and expectations. Oliver is in my study hall class so at least there is one friendly face. He and I just keep chatting and getting to know each other because there is obviously nothing to do on the first day of study hall. He walks me to the gym and shows me where to wait for Levi.
I shoot off a text to Isaac while I wait for Levi.
Me: Just finished the first day at FP.
Isaac: How’d it go? What’s your new brother like?
Me: School was school, the math classes are great.
Isaac:
Me: Funny story, I actually know Levi from Foster’s. He was there for football the same summers I was, and we were actually pretty close.
Isaac: No way, that’s good though. You need friendly faces when you have deal with the devil everyday
Me: Truth
Isaac: I have a deposition I need to get to
Isaac: Text me more later
Isaac: Love you squirt
Me: Love you too
“Boo.” Two giant hands wrap around my ribs and squeeze me. “Your brother?” Levi doesn’t bother to hide the fact that he’s reading over my shoulder.
“The other one,” I duck away from him.
“The only one.” I look up at his serious tone and expression. “You will never be my sister, Ives. You are so much more, and nothing will change that.”
I swallow and look away. Playful, flirty Levi is easy to handle. I have nice comfortable box for him. Serious, intense Levi wouldn’t fit in a warehouse, let alone a little box. There is no way to contain the feelings that stir when he looks at me the way he just was.
Luckily, the tension dissipates when a herd of smelly boys in mesh jerseys walk out of the locker room behind him. A few of them look at me curiously, and others slap his back, calling him Cap.
“Captain of the football team?” I ask while following him out toward the practice field.
“Yeah, first year as captain but third as starting QB.”
I’m not surprised that he’s been a starter since his freshman year. I sneak a look at him out of the corner of my eye. He’s wearing a pair of gym shorts with the school crest on the thigh and a gray shirt with the sides cut out allowing me to appreciate his sculpted lats and obliques. I always thought those shirts were stupid when Isaac would wear them around the house, but I have a whole new appreciation now.
“I can take it off it you want,” Levi smirks and starts to pull the front of his shirt up.
“Fuck off,” I roll my eyes, “I was just thinking about how stupid those shirts are.”
“Mmmhmm, sure you were, Ives.” He pulls his helmet on and winks at me before running off to join his team on the center of the field.
I walk over to the metal bleachers, pull my jacket off, and take off the pumps I decided on today. I don’t have any homework, so I drape myself over the bench and catch up on my old friends’ lives through Instagram and Snapchat. Looking between pictures from my old life on my phone and glancing up to watch Levi practice makes me grateful for this new opportunity. At least the sights are infinitely better.
Levi looks like a god on the field. His golden skin stretched over toned muscles is covered in a light sheen of sweat. Every so often our eyes will meet, and I’ll feel our connection on visceral level.
Maybe someday he and I will be in a position to give us a shot at a relationship. I know we both want it, at least to try. It just can’t be right now, living together as stepsiblings. I need to find a way to keep the distance. It’s hard when our past runs so deep, though. Watching him practice pulls me back into memories from our summers together.
The sky is lit up in dark orange, red, and purple when I walk down to the edge of the dock. It’s on the opposite side of the camp from the lawn behind the admin building so it’s quiet. I pull my Chucks and socks off, so I can dip my toes in the lake.
“Wondered if I would find you here.” Levi says walking down the dock toward me.
“Some of the other swimmers found out about my dad being an Olympian. They won’t leave me alone now.” I say without looking up at him.
“I know that annoys you,” he kicks off his flip-flops and sits beside me, “but it is pretty awesome. He didn’t just medal, he set an Olympic record that’s still standing, right?”
“Yeah.” I sigh.
“If I found out that one of my friend’s dads won the Heisman Trophy, I would be all over that.” He pulls out a bag of gummy bears. “Hungry?”
“Always.” I grab it and start sorting the bears by color for us. “I can’t eat these without thinking about you now. Every time I throw away the green, I hear your voice complaining about the tragedy of trashing them.”
“I think about you when I have them, too.” We make eye contact for the first time since he found me. His eyes reflect the darkness of the lake.
I lose track of time while I wander down memory lane until a football helmet lands on the bench beside me, jarring me back to the present. He’s standing right in front of me, literally so close he’s dripping sweat onto my bare knees. He’s panting a bit, not like he’s just run a marathon but enough to know he worked hard.
“I’m gonna hit the shower before we go home. You okay out here or do you want to wait inside?”
“I’m good here. The sun feels good,” I have to tilt my head all the way back to see his face.
He nods, “I’ll be out in about ten minutes.”
“Con and Griff are coming over for dinner tonight. I texted Babs earlier to let her know.” Levi says as he turns his car on. “I’m not sure if your mom will be joining us or not, but you definitely can.”
“Does she eat at home much when your dad is gone in the city?”
“No, she’s never stayed behind before.”
“Oh,” color me unsurprised, “hopefully she goes back into that routine.”
He grins over at me. “You two were never close, right?”
“Yeah,” I play with the hem of my skirt, “she’s never approved of my choice to swim. She doesn’t like how close I am with Isaac and his mom, Meredith, who is more of mother figure to me than my own ever has been. I’m closer to Dad than to her.”
“Sounds like her problem, not yours.”
I nod. “It hasn’t bothered me in years. I know what to expect from her.” I pause and realize I’ve never heard him talk about his own mom. “What about your mom?”
“She died when I was a baby. She was a model and got addicted to drugs, along with her eating disorder. She went into cardiac arrest and died a week after I turned one.”
“Oh my god, I had no idea.” I reach over and put my hand over his on the center console. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” He flips his hand and squeezes mine. “I don’t remember her at all, obviously, and I was raised by two wonderful women. My nanny who retired last year, Dot, and Babs.”
“Babs has been around that long?” She looks too young to have worked for them too long.
“Yeah, she’s a little younger than my dad. He hired her straight from culinary school.”
He pulls into the garage and follows me into the house. “What did you think of your first day? Did anyone give you any trouble?” He asks from behind me.
“It doesn’t seem too different from my old school, aside from half the student population being guys. No one was rude today, but other than Oliver, no one went out of their way to be friendly either.”
I don’t see the expression on his face when I mention Oliver, but I do hear the derisive grunt he makes.
“Good,” he stops at his door while I stop at mine, “remember what I said about the kids at our school and who runs the place. You should be protected from any bullshit but tell me if someone bothers you.”
“I don’t need your protection,” I say as I pop a hip out in my usual defiant stance.
“You have it regardless.” He glances down at his watch. “Dinner is at six.”
I watch him close his door before turning into my room. I start pulling my uniform off and decide to take a quick shower. Sitting out in the sun for an hour and a half made me just sweaty enough to be gross but not bad enough to wash my hair.
I walk into my closet wrapped in a towel after my shower and realize I don’t know how they dress for dinner at home around here. If Mom is having dinner with us, I’ll need to be dressier. If it’s just us and Levi’s friends, I could probably wear yoga pants and be fine. I go with a pair of white jeans and pink and white stripe crop top. My feet hurt after a day in heels, so I skip wearing any shoes.
I have a few minutes, so I flop down on my bed to scroll through The Ridge, an app for the students at FPA. I’m scrolling through and see post after post about Levi, Connor, and Griffin. There has to be at least half the senior class bragging about fucking Levi. My stomach clenches at the photos of him kissing and holding other girls. I know I should just stop looking, but much like a car accident, I can’t bring myself to look away.
“Ives?” Levi pokes his head in my room. “Dinner’s ready.” He pushes the door the rest of the way open, and I see Connor and Griffin in the hallway behind him.
I close the app and set my phone on its charger before following them. I do see the appeal for all the girls in the school to go after them. All three of them are attractive in different ways. Levi looks like a golden god, poised to rule over plebeians from a gilded throne. Connor looks like a dark prince with his dark brown, almost black hair and piercing green eyes. Griffin is the leanest of the three but carries himself with the most poise and grace; his hair is a beautiful auburn, and his eyes are a hazel maelstrom of green, gold, and brown.
We get to the dining room and both Levi and I stiffen at the sight of my mom, overdressed as usual in a skintight bodycon dress, her Sofia Vergara-like curves on full display. Her long dark hair is curled to perfection and swept over one of her shoulders. Her makeup is heavy and dark, making her look thirsty for attention.
The slow look she gives me is full of disdain. I can feel her gaze like a lash as she takes in every part of my appearance and dismisses it. “Ivy, where are your shoes? You can’t come to dinner barefoot.”
“Sure she can,” Levi says as he toes his flip-flops off and slings them across the floor to the wall.
When I look over at Connor and Griffin, they’ve both taken their shoes off, too.
“My dad never wears shoes in the house, even when he’s in a suit,” Connor says giving my mother a scornful look. “We all know how obsessed you are with my parents.”
“My sisters always complained about how awful those school-issued heels were, too.” Griffin adds as he sits down.
I give each of them a grateful smile. It’s nice to have someone backing me up again after all the years without Dad or Isaac running interference.
At this point during dinner, one would expect their mother to ask about the first day of school, how it went or if you made any friends. Jennifer Bane-Marsh is not like most mothers though. Instead she goes right for the jugular.
“I had Babs create a meal plan for you that restricts carbs and sugar,” she says as the food is brought out. “I know you think you’re still young enough to eat whatever you want but soon it’ll catch up to you.”
My plate is the same as hers. A piece of grilled sea bass and steamed broccoli is all that’s on it. The guys all have filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled veggies with some delicious smelling fresh bread. I sense Levi stiffen again beside me and hear him take a breath to say something, but I lay my hand on his thigh, squeezing to keep him quiet. I know how this will go if anyone pushes back, and it will only end in embarrassment for me.
“Thank you, Mother, this looks delicious.” It does, and I’m sure it’ll taste fantastic. I’m not too worried about having my calories and carbs restricted while I’m in the off-season. This isn’t a fight for today, so I smile and bear it.
We make it through the dinner with my mom fawning all over Connor and Griffin. She keeps making suggestive comments about how attractive and successful both their families are and asking them if they have girlfriends. She also mentions how I’m single and so intelligent, such a catch. I have to force my dinner down past the bile that rising as she pretends to be proud of me.
6
LEVI
All week I’ve watched Oliver circle around Ives like a goddamned shark, waiting to strike. At lunch, he’s there, and Ivy sits with the soccer team every day. He walks her to almost every class, even when I am or one of the guys is in it with her. I’m surprised he doesn’t follow her to my practices after school.
It’s Friday, but we don’t have our first game until next week, so I’m thinking about hanging at home and staying low key. Griff is going to something with one of his sisters in Boston, and Con has family shit going down. I walk out of school and see Ivy standing by my car and Oliver standing way too close with his fucking hand on her waist.
He says something.
She smiles.
He leans in and hugs her.
She hugs him back.
He turns his head like he’s about to kiss her…
Oh, hell fucking no.
“Ives, let’s go. Do we still need to stop and pick up super tampons for your heavy flow problem?” I tap the hood of G Wagon. “Should I put a towel down on the seat again?”
I glance over at her and have to fight back a laugh. She’s mad, raging bull mad. Her eyes are narrowed to slits, her mouth a thin slash under reddening cheeks. I bet she’d be an amazing fuck angry like this. I have to adjust my dick thinking dirty thoughts as I slide into the driver’s seat. She and Oliver keep talking for a minute before she gets in and slams the door.
“The fuck was that, Levi?”
“What?” I make sure my voice is the picture of innocence.
“Seriously?” she snorts. “You can be a real dick sometimes, you know that?”
“I do.” All bets are off when it comes to my Ives. “That was pretty tame though, keep pushing me and see how far I’ll go.”
“That a threat?”
“I don’t make threats, I keep promises. I don’t want you dry humping other guys against my car.”
“But you can get a blowjob in a supply closet whenever you want?”
“Yeah, I can.”
“I can date or kiss whoever I want, too.”
“No, sweetheart, you can’t. Who said anything about dating anyone?”
“Oliver asked if he could take me to the party tomorrow. I said yes.”
Oh, fuck, that hurts. The thought of that British asshole with his hands on Ivy drives me insane. I torture myself with mental images of them pressed against each other in the pool, her legs wrapped around his waist. His lips on her neck, her lips on his. I look down at my white knuckles and force myself to loosen my grip on the steering wheel.
“What are you doing tonight?” I work hard to tame the raging, jealous beast within and sound normal.
“Nothing,” she shrugs.
“Movie night?”
“With you?”
Relentless (Titans of Founder's Ridge Book 2) Page 5
